from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
German \Ger"man\, n.; pl. {Germans}[L. Germanus, prob. of Celtis
origin.]
1. A native or one of the people of Germany.
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2. The German language.
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3.
(a) A round dance, often with a waltz movement, abounding
in capriciosly involved figures.
(b) A social party at which the german is danced.
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{High German}, the Teutonic dialect of Upper or Southern
Germany, -- comprising Old High German, used from the 8th
to the 11th century; Middle H. G., from the 12th to the
15th century; and Modern or New H. G., the language of
Luther's Bible version and of modern German literature.
The dialects of Central Germany, the basis of the modern
literary language, are often called Middle German, and the
Southern German dialects Upper German; but High German is
also used to cover both groups.
{Low German}, the language of Northern Germany and the
Netherlands, -- including {Friesic}; {Anglo-Saxon} or
{Saxon}; {Old Saxon}; {Dutch} or {Low Dutch}, with its
dialect, {Flemish}; and {Plattdeutsch} (called also {Low
German}), spoken in many dialects.
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